Convocation 2026: A Time to Widen the Circle

On Sunday, April 12, 2026, Conrad Grebel University College recognized graduating students at the annual Convocation Service. This tradition invites students, families, faculty, and staff to celebrate the achievements of students who connected with Grebel at any time during their studies. This celebration is in addition to the University of Waterloo’s Convocation, where graduate and undergraduate students will receive their degrees later this year. For graduates of the Master of Theological Studies (MTS) program, Grebel approves the degree and hoods the students. In this year’s graduating class, there were six MTS students and 15 Master of Peace and Conflict Studies (MPACS) students, as well as 64 undergraduates.

Grebel President Marcus Shantz addressed the students by recognizing the world they are graduating into, in all its troubles and triumphs. He shared his hope for them, on behalf of Grebel, that they have “developed a way of seeing a clear vision that takes in all of the issues and the troubles and the problems but still seeks out the blessings of this world.” He also shared the poem “I Live My Life in Widening Circles” by Rainer Maria Rilke, which was read at his own convocation in 1995. “We hope these years have been a time of widening circles, when you've found lasting friends who give you confidence and hope that you're not alone, and a time when you've started to grasp your own gifts and potential.”

Dr. Laura J. Gray, Associate Professor of Music at Grebel was the convocation speaker. For 27 years, she has invested in Grebel students and encouraged their pursuit of music and unique interests. She retires later this year. “I hope that we at Grebel have cultivated a space and enthusiasm for engaging your curiosity and creativity,” she began. “I know that we have benefited a great deal from all of you.” Laura went on to say that many of the greatest lessons learned are often outside the classroom, and not always from professors but from one another. “We are celebrating not only your academic accomplishments, but the thoughtful person you are and will continue to become,” she said. “You have much to offer. This beautiful world needs every single one of you."

The 2026 undergraduate valedictorian, selected by her peers, was Isabel Song, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Science and a Music minor. “I speak today on behalf of a group of students who I've spent the past four years admiring, being challenged by, and looking up to,” she started. Isabel reflected on beliefs and how they shape experiences, noting a concept she learned in one of her music classes. “The suspension of disbelief typically refers to when we put aside our preconceived notions on what is realistic or possible in the world to buy into the world of a film,” she explained. “I think that this idea is actually a key part of our unique experiences at Grebel.” The staff and students at Grebel who believed in her and suspended their disbelief about her allowed Isabel to become, as she put it, “Grebel’s most reluctant convert.” As a new student not initially engaged in the Grebel community, Isabel went on to serve as a residence don, a Grebel ambassador, an Orientation Committee leader, and Ontario Mennonite Music Camp leader. Following her speech, the choir performed a piece Isabel composed, titled “Our Days.” The song was written to remember the ways in which the graduating class spent their days together at Grebel and honour the memories they shared and will carry with them throughout their lives.

The graduate class valedictorian alternates each year between an MPACS student and an MTS student. Valedictorian Shaista Asmi served on the MPACS Students Society as president, and her peers recognized her for kindness and empowerment. Shaista was motivated to study MPACS after finding hope in the teachings of Indigenous restorative justice. She hoped that the MPACS program would provide her with the space to have difficult conversations and not turn away when things got painful but rather turn to action. “The opportunity to sit and talk with each other, not at one another, about heavy and hard topics is not something to take for granted,” Shaista noted. What impacted her beyond the classroom was the sense of interpersonal connection with her classmates and professors.

Each graduating student was invited to share a bit about their next steps as they were honoured on stage. The plans were diverse, ranging from full-time employment to significant life changes like marriage. Some shared plans for further education, with several undergraduate students pursuing an MTS degree at Grebel in the fall. Many students shared a desire to travel and see the world with their newfound freedom, with some taking advantage of upcoming Grebel’s Music & Culture travel course to Bali, Indonesia. Others shared uncertainty but optimism for what’s ahead, with one student remarking: “I don’t really know what my plan is, but I hope to make the world a better place for my friends and neighbours.”

A reception was held at Grebel following the convocation ceremony, as time for graduates and their friends and loved ones to celebrate and connect with one another. Congratulations to each new graduate in achieving this well-earned milestone.